


And now the conclusion...

by WishaDream



Series: Lena in Limbo (part 3 in supercorp series) [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Happy Ending, I promise, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Limbo, SuperCorp, continuation of story, dream journey, dream limbo, hades role has been filled by lex luthor it that wasn't obvious, it just never came up in the context of the story, journey into underworld, kara plays role of orpheus, lena plays eurydice, part of a series, story of orpheus and eurydice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28637493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishaDream/pseuds/WishaDream
Summary: Previously on Lena in Limbo...(Man points gun at Lena)Man: Leviathan sends their regards.(Gun fires)[Flash to a scene with Lena lying in medical bed flatlining.]Alex: She's gone, Kara(Kara lays back on bed with electric nodes on her forehead.)Kara: I'm going after her and I'm bringing her back.And now, the conclusion...
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: Lena in Limbo (part 3 in supercorp series) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892470
Kudos: 18





	And now the conclusion...

_Darkness._

_Everything was darkness._

_And then…a pinprick of light._

_A shape._

_Moving closer to her._

_Moving with purpose._

_‘Lena”_

_The voice echoed like a distant memory._

_“Lena. I’m coming. I’m coming.”_

_The voice grew dim, moving further away, fading into nothing as she felt herself sink deeper into the night._

___

The spirits of those long gone clawed at Orpheus’ body, their fingers like ice that shot through her skin straight into her turning the blood in her veins to slush.

Her mind and body felt heavy, numb, as everything seemed to slow down. She was being pulled down into the river, into the cold, into the night. Into the forever that stretched into eternity. Never to rise. Never to breathe again. Never to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. Never to hear the sweet laughter of the ones she loved.

_Eurydice._

The words escaped from her lips like the final breath of life. They bolstered her, as instead of falling further into death’s embrace her eyes shot open as an image flashed across her mind.

Red lips. Dark hair. Eyes green like a forest floor. Over the moans of the dead she heard her voice calling to her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Sweet promises.

Heat rushed through Orpheus’ body, bringing her completely back as she reached out, clawing the air in front of her till her fingers found purchase.

Gripping the shoreline like it was the arm of her lover, she used it to pull herself up as withered hands continued to pull at her, begging her to stay, but she would not die here. She would not fall. Not till she had the woman she loved safe in her arms.

She was going to win. She was going to bring Eurydice back even if she had to fight death itself. 

___

“Fighting won’t be necessary.”

Hade’s wore a smug grin that made her want to punch him regardless of the fact that he was one of the big three gods.

Pointing to a nearby pool of water, Hades told her, “Your bride is there. If you want to get her back all that is required is for you to--.”

Splash!

Orpheus leapt right into the pool of souls as she started to swim through the murky waters towards the shimmering visage of her dearly departed’s face. To her it only looked like the woman was sleeping, her face bathed in moonlight. But as she reached out she to touch her arm it was not solid like she recalled, but fluttered beneath her fingertips like silk. The skin of her arm even looked transparent like gossamer.

Taking a hold of the woman’s airy arm she pulled her into her own solid frame. As soon as they were together it was like an outside force was pulling them back to the surface as Orpheus fetl her body break the surface of the soul pool.

She practically glowed as she hovered above the water, Eurydice’s body lying limply in her arms, water dripping from them both.

“I’m taking her with me,” her voice boomed with the statement as the rocks quivered with the force of her words.

Hade’s voice was dark, sardonic as he said, “You really think I’m going to let you leave like that?”

“How are you going to stop me?”

He lifted his hand, snapping his fingers as the air around him quivered. Though it was like holding nothing more than air, Orpheus felt the weight in her arms disappear as she looked down to find Eurydice was gone.

Again.

When she looked up she found her love floating beside Hades like some see through coat hanging on a rack.

“I own her soul,” stated Hades flatly, “And I wasn’t saying to “go get her” as if that was going to be enough for you to win her soul back.”

“Then what? What can I do to get her back?”

A cold sneer came from the god of the underworld, “Nothing you do could ever be enough to win back a soul. This is not a case where you can fight to win back Eurydice’s soul.”

Though he said it like the decision was final, there was a hint in his voice that there was still hope.

“If I can’t *do* anything, is there something I can give? I’ll give anything to have her back.”

The god looked smug like he’d just won, “I bet getting her out of the water was awfully easy for someone with god given gifts. Most mortals would have succumbed to the waters, but not you. Not when the benevolent gods of Olympus have granted you abilities far beyond that of mortal man.”

The words came off derisive. Bitter. Like he felt like Orpheus did not deserve the gift. But she did not care about his opinion.

She only cared about one thing.

Orpheus’ jaw tightened, “You want me to hand over my abilities and then I can have her back.”

With all the gods had gifted her none of it had been enough to save Eurydice. To bring her back. And when she’d gone to those very gods to beg back her life, the only thing they could do was advise her to try and convince the god of the underworld to free her soul.

“Unless those abilities are more precious to you than her,” stated Hades.

He motioned back to Eurydice whose hair floated around her like she was underwater, drowning, waiting for someone to pull her to the surface. To save her.

Orpheus’ heart ached as she realized this was her last chance to do that, to save her. She hadn’t been able to do anything when she’d found her wife’s lifeless body. All she could do then was hold her body and sob. But now—now she had a chance to do something.

“I’d understand,” continued Hades, “The abilities the gods granted you are great. I wouldn’t want to give them up for someone like *her.* You could have anyone, do anything, so why give that all up for this,” he motioned to Eurydice’s spectral form like it was nothing more than a discarded tissue.

The way he spoke about Eurydice angered Orpheus as she felt her hands clench at her sides, “because I love her.”

The lord of death let out a snort, “Love? Oh, come on, love is fickle. It grows old. Dies. Love lets you down. It betrays you. Why would you want that? And you *love* her? Really? After all the times she’s hurt you. After all the things she’s done to betray you. You really want to give it all up just to bring her back?”

‘I would.” She held out her hand to Hades.

What good were any of her abilities if she did not have Eurydice?

A slow shake of the head from the god of the underworld like he couldn’t understand what she was doing, “Alright.” He took her hand in his, his grip tight but not painful, “One more thing. As soon as you leave this room you can’t look back. She will follow you out, but…”

Orpheus started to feel the grip tighter on her hand, painful, like a vice crushing her fingers as pain shot up her arm.

“If you look back once she will be mine again. Her as well as your powers.”

At this she felt an energy flow from her to Hades like blood from a wound. Her life essence being drawn out of her as the god’s grip tightened. Around her colors seemed to dim as it felt like the light of her life was being extinguished, moving from her to Hades who seemed to glow as bright as the sun before the darkness in him completely consumed the light.

She felt herself drop to one knee.

“If you truly love her, if you want to save her then no matter what your heart is telling you, no matter what fears creep into your mind, don’t look back. Not until you both are completely free of my realm.”

The pain was in every part of her, her mind, her eyes, the hairs at the back of her neck. With one final cry of pain it ended.

She was on all fours, breathing heavy as she felt the weakest she’d ever felt. Even before the gods had granted her strength she had never felt this—this fragile.

Lifting her head she looked into the shimmering face of Eurydice. She looked so peaceful, completely unaware of the drama unfolding in front of her.

Her gaze flicked from the woman over to the god, “How do I know you’re not going to renege on your promise. That she is going to be behind me.”

“If you don’t believe me, then by all means, go ahead and look behind her,” his expression darkened, “And lose her forever. If you look her soul will return to me and you will never see her again.”

Pushing herself back to her feet, she stumbled for a moment as the world around her started to spin. Then everything pitched to the side as she felt herself hit the ground, her head slamming against the hard ground as stars burst across her vision.

When she came to, Hades was leering down at her, “If this is going to be too hard you could always give up now. Join her in eternal death.”

Her jaw set as she started to push herself up again, her arms shaking under the weight of her body. “I will bring her back with me.”

A snort from Hades.

“And I *won’t* look back.”

She tightened the muscles of her arm as she got back up again. Her head spun as before, but she held still until it stopped.

“Then go,” stated Hades as he waved her away, “but I *will* see you again.”

With that he turned away, completely done with her after having gotten all he wanted from her.

At the door of the room Orpheus paused in the doorway as she took a moment to catch her breath. She felt the urge to look back, to see Eurydice one last time before she started the long journey back to the surface. But she would not risk it, even for just a quick glance.

Pushing herself free of the doorjamb she took another step forward and out of the room. 

___

It had been Eurydice’s life work to find out what made humans tick. Though everyone knew the gods had made them, she wanted to know how the human body functioned. How bones healed. How one received energy from the food they ate.

Though it was clear how they existed, she wanted to know how they kept existing.

“I have theory that like buildings, everything is made up of very tine bricks. I’d like to find a way to prove or disprove that theory.”

If Eurydice was correct then every brick that made up Orpheus’ being was on fire. Without her super strength it took everything in her to keep her moving forward. It was like her muscles were out of practice in keeping her bones up. Of keeping her up. She stumbled on more than one occasion, falling to her knees as the bones there cried out in pain with every bruise they took.

Pain. She hadn’t felt that in so long. Not since the gods had granted her special abilities to keep their favorite musician safe.

Apollo had been the one to grant her the abilities of strength, invulnerability, and because he was in a good mood, the ability to fly. This had kept her safe when she had joined Jason and the Argonauts on their Golden Fleece tour.

Now she had none of that and the journey back through the underworld was proving harder than it had been getting in. On her way in she had not encountered another soul, none living at least. Now it seemed every few feet she encountered various monstrosities which she had to hurriedly hide from. Large beings made of rock and lava that made the ground quake with each step. Beings of unspeakable horror that made her skin crawl with fear. But she pressed on past them, hiding when able, running when not, all to reach the end and the world above where she could hold Eurydice in her arms again.

“You wanted to protect me, but what about the ones I care about?”

The religious leaders of the town had not appreciated the work, the research Eurydice was doing. They claimed it was not a mortal’s place to look into how the gods had done things. No their place to find out how it all worked.

Orpheus had never believed they would go beyond making angry threats. Eurydice had always said Orpheus had the distinction of only being able to see the best in people.

“Otherwise you wouldn’t stay with someone like me.”

For all her demons, Orpheus could only ever see the good that made Eurydice seek out the answers to the questions of life. By understanding the human body better she hoped to one day find a way to cure illnesses that plagued the world. To help wounds heal quicker and bring back those who were claimed “As good as dead.”

  


Up ahead, Orpheus heard the familiar thud, thud, thud that accompanied a rock golem. Scurrying behind a rock, she waited, her heart pounding in her chest as the creature passed. Eventually its footsteps faded as she came out from her hiding spot to continue on her way.

Had Hades sent the creature to hunt her down? To impede her journey?

None of them had as of yet tried to take Eurydice from her.

Did they even see her? Or had they only come to crush Orpheus, sending her own soul back to the god of the dead?

“They wouldn’t need to steal her if she’s not there.”

The thought made Orpheus shiver as another accompanied the first, “Hades lied to you. She’s not following you. She’s still back with him. By the time you realize that she’ll already have passed on and be gone from you forever.”

“Just look behind you and see. Once you know the truth you can give up and join her in death.”

Orpheus’ jaw flexed as she considered the words.

She could. Could look. Could give up.

The thought sent shivers through her as cold as the ones she’d felt the day she’d come home to find Eurydice dead. The light wood floor had been stained red with her blood. The white walls had been smeared with her blood, used to write out the threatening message, “Don’t try to play god.”

Those words had signaled the end of her time with Eurydice. Of days spent playing music in their home as her wife danced along to the melody, Orpheus always claiming she danced better than the nymphs.

If she looked back and Eurydice was there it would be the last time she’d be able to do any of that.

Setting her jaw she continued forward.

___

The journey back across the Styx was even harder than the first time. Halfway onto the shore she took a deep breath, the intake feeling like the first one in days. Pulling herself completely free she took two more labored breaths.

“Is it really worth it?”

“After all she did to you.”

Orpheus ignored the voices as she started to crawl away from the waters.

Back when she’d first met Eurydice she had not told her about her god gift. She had been afraid Eurydice would leave her; too scared of all the trouble such a gift might bring the pair.

Eventually, Orpheus realized, if she actually cared for Eurydice, she needed to tell her and let her make the decision for herself of what she would do.

Eurydice had chosen to stay, even knowing how hard it might be for them. Now Orpheus had chosen to give up those abilities in order to bring her back.

She pushed herself back to her feet as she started to plod forward.

Just one more step. One more step and they’d be out. One more step and they’d be reunited. One more step and they would be—free.

__

Ghosts, spirits of those long departed pulled at her body, moaning and groaning for her to remain with them. Clawing at her flesh as they left cold marks on her flesh.

One tried to grab her face. She fought against it as the creature tried to turn her head around. Closing her eyes she pushed the ghoul away with the strength of a mortal. But even a weak mortal was stronger than a ghost with its breath as cold and dank as the grave.

Away from it she started to run, putting as much distance between herself and the ghosts. No matter how many things Hades sent after her she would not give up. This was not about saving herself, it was about saving Eurydice. Hades might have thought otherwise, but this *was* a fight for Eurydice’s soul and she was going to succeed.

With each step she took she thought back to all the moments that had prepared her for this battle.

All the times she’d been weakened by Kryptonite and still managed to fight. The times she’d been without her powers and stood in front of guns. All those moments where her strength was more than just about her being able to lift a plane, but about something deeper. About an inner strength that pressed her to keep going even when everything around her told her to give up.

In those moments she found her strength coming from something other than her muscles or the sun. When the battles were their hardest she always relied on love. The love others had for her and love she had for others. Like Eurydice. A love that gave her strength to keep going when everything seemed hopeless.

Hope. That was another thing that kept her going. Love and hope being the two guiding forces in her life.

She held onto them, gripping them in each of her fists as she kept moving forward, away from the shadows and into the light. 

___

Back in the world of the living Kara’s vitals started to crash as the world of dreams became too much for her mind and body.

“Alex, we’re going to lose her,” stated Brainy, “We need to pull her out.”

Alex’s brow furrowed as she looked from her sister’s face back to the heart monitor. Over the sound of her heart crashing she heard her sister’s voice, “Just give me a chance to get her back. Please, Alex.”

“Alex!” Brainys’ voice broke in as he asked, “Should I take her out?”

“I—I don’t know. She’d want us to wait as long as possible.”

“Lena’s vitals haven’t changed.”

Alex frowned as she looked over at the still form of the other woman.

“Just give her a little longer.”

____

“Marco!”

Orpheus was seeing spots as her head felt like it was full of water.

“Marco.”

It was a long shot, but it helped her keep going as she waited to hear her voice. To receive just one sign that Eurydice *was* with her. That she wasn’t really alone even as everything around her made her think otherwise

There was no sound behind her, just the constant groaning of the damned. Just the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. Just the groan of her muscles as they ached with each step, her whole body shaking with effort to keep her upright.

She pressed on, her lungs burning, exhaustion making each breath harder and harder to take.

Was this how mortality always felt? How did anyone go on feeling this way? Like they could collapse at any moment into a broken husk of a person.

But she kept going, even as her lips became chapped with the heat of the underworld, her breathing growing more and more shallow.

“Marco.”

The call was weaker this time, but it gave her strength, hope as she listened to the sounds behind her instead of focusing on how much more of Tartarus stretched out in front of her.

‘Marco.”

Behind her a voice, weak like a whisper replied, “Polo.”

She couldn’t be sure but she swore it was Eurydice’s voice. It could just have been a trick of her mind, but it bolstered her. She longed to look back to be sure, but just imagining that she’d heard her voice gave her reason enough to keep going.

To not look back, but to keep moving forward.

____

Up ahead two giants ran at her, looking eager to crush her with their hammers. To bring a permanent end to her journey.

Hades wasn’t going to let Eurydice go easily.

He wasn’t going to let a soul go without a fight.

There was no way she could take on the giants in her current state. But this was something she had to get past in order to save Eurydice.

Breathe shaking in her chest, legs quivering like jelly, she ran forward, stumbling under one of the giant’s hammers as she moved between its legs.

The other one just grazed her with its hands, sending her tumbling as she closed her eyes before her body tumbled end over end. As soon as she stopped she pushed herself up, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground as she started to run away from the sounds of the giants.

She couldn’t be sure which way was forward, but kept running till she could no longer hear them.

Her eyes stung as she realized she might have been heading back now with no way of knowing without looking around. But she could not.

“I’m not going to lose her.”

Keeping her eyes down, she kept moving forward as eventually she saw lights up ahead. The light of the sun. The light she had left behind when she had first entered the underworld.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized she was almost out. She was almost free.

Halfway up the steep incline, as the heat of the sun grazed her knuckles, a startling thought came to her.

What if Eurydice wasn’t behind her anymore?

What if she had lost her along the way while running from the various encounters?

“Marco?”

Her voice broke as her heart pounded in her chest.

“Marco.”

The words choked in her throat, catching on her heart as it begged to hear a response.

Above her she heard the sweet sound of birds singing as the wind whistled through the trees, but the world above didn’t matter to her as much as what she worried she had left in the shadows.

“Marco!”

Nothing.

Her muscles tensed as she fought the urge to turn around. To look. To see what her heart could not believe.

But she had always relied on hope. Hope for things to turn out well even as everything seemed to be lost. Hope to win when the battle looked to be over. During all those times she had chosen to hope, even when she could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Now her hope was that Hades had kept his word and that Eurydice was still behind her.

Pulling herself up the incline, she clawed her way out of the hole to the surface. The sun was hot on her face as she felt the cool grass between her fingers.

Taking a moment to catch her breath she then proceeded to crawl away from the hole. Away from the cold darkness of death and its end.

“Orpheus,: behind her Eurydice’s voice was as clear as it had been in life.

She faltered, her heart pierced through with the sound.

No. She had to keep going. She could not risk looking back. Not yet.

Though her heart longed to look back, begged to turn round, logic kept her moving forward as she knew she would not be safe until she was completely free of death and its cold embrace.

“Orpheus, what are you doing? I’m back. We’re free. You won.”

The ghosts of those long parted had tried over and again to convince her to look back, to doubt. She would not let them trick her now.

Great sobs rocked her body as she pulled grass free in her efforts to keep moving forward.

She would not stop, not till her knees were bleeding, not till her fingers ached with the effort she had used to pull herself forward.

A shadow fell over her as she looked up. The sun blocked out the face as she heard the familiar voice say, “You came back for me.”

The body knelt down, allowing her to see their face. A face she felt like she hadn’t seen for an eternity

Eurydice smiled as she reached out, her hand running against Orpheus’ cheek as she caressed her skin.

Exhaustion made it hard for her to keep her eyes open as she smiled back, “Of course I did. I’ll always come for you.”

With that her head dropped back as her eyes closed.

___

Kara took in a sharp intake of breath as her eyes came open.

“Kara.”

Alex rushed over, taking a hold of her hand as relief showed in her smile.

“Lena.” Kara pushed up on her elbow, looking past her sister to the bed beyond her.

Lena lay on the bed. Unmoving. It didn’t even look like she was breathing.

“Kara, I…” her sister sounded like she was about to give her bad news.

She pushed herself completely up from the bed, stumbling for a moment as she caught herself on the edge of Lena’s bed.

“Lena.”

She reached out, lightly, hesitantly touching her cheek, “Lena.”

She leaned in, resting her forehead against hers.

“Please. Please come back to me. I need you. I need you, Lena. You are my sun.”

She felt a tear slide down her cheek, splashing against Lena’s cold skin.

“Lena.”

She half expected the tear to freeze with how cold her skin felt.

She couldn’t believe it. After everything Lena was gone.

“Haah” Lena’s back arched as she took in a breathe before dropping back to the bed.

“Lena.

Alex hurried over as she called for the medical team to help her.

Kara smiled as she watched her sister work to make sure Lena stayed with them. With her.

“Welcome back, Lena.”

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing started out with the first story about Lena in Camelot, but then I got the idea about an alternate universe, and then this one about Orpheus' journey into the underworld. Instead of picking one I decided to just do multiple parts, with this journey into the underworld being the perfect denouement to the trilogy. Se
> 
> Also, this post gave me the idea about living a whole series of lives in the seven minutes after one dies: https://pin.it/1SPZmtU


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